13 Best Video Conferencing Software of 2023 (Ranked)

This is the ultimate guide to the best video conferencing software platforms.

In the past, video conferencing was tough and required expensive tools and expertise.

Today, it’s as simple as choosing the best video conferencing software, connecting with your phone or computer, and inviting people to join your conference.

The video conferencing market is projected to hit $13.82 billion by 2023, and 58% of companies use video conferencing in their daily business operations.

These conferencing platforms are easy to set up and use, and integrate with 100s of third-party platforms & apps, with intuitive screen sharing options.

The majority of these video conferencing services come with free plans and affordable plans. GoToMeeting, ClickMeeting, Google Meet, and Lifesize are great examples.

In this guide, you’ll discover:

• What the best video conferencing software platforms are
• What to consider when choosing video conferencing software
• How to avoid losing ‘money’ on video conferencing services that are complicated and glitchy
• The benefits of using video conferencing software to bring together team members from different locations.

If you’re ready, let’s dive right in.

What Are The Best Video Conferencing Software?

Here are my picks for the best video conferencing software for 2023. After the list, you’ll find an in-depth review of each tool.  

1. Zoho Meeting
2. GoToMeeting
3. RingCentral
4. ClickMeeting
5. BlueJeans
6. Zoom
7. Skype
8. Cisco Webex Meetings
9. Microsoft Teams
10. Google Meet
11. Join.me
12. Lifesize
13. DialPad Meetings (formerly UberConference)

Alright, let’s dive right in. Here’s a breakdown of the 13 best video conferencing software of 2023:

1. Zoho Meeting

Best user-friendly video conferencing solution

Zoho Meeting is an easy-to-use online meeting software. With Zoho Meeting, you can easily host video conferences and webinars quickly.

You can easily conduct meetings with the help of Zoho Meeting. This software uses a telephone bridge protocol to connect multiple users on the same call.

Participants are instantly connected to the conference bridge.

With Zoho Meeting, you can switch between the audio channels using phone or computer audio.  

You can customize Zoho Meeting. Regardless of whether you’re hosting a one-time or ongoing event, you can use Zoho Meeting to customize the user interface.

The free plan lets you customize the registration form and email invitations. The upgrade offers more customization options.

You can even create a custom domain and give your meeting attendees access to the client portal via the subdomain. This option keeps your brand intact.

Key Features

• Conduct video meetings with 100s of participants
• Deep integration with Zoho’s apps and third-party services
• Share documents and presentations through screen sharing
• Record, replay, and share web meeting recordings with members
• Send customized emails to attendees
• View and download reports in XLS and CSV formats

Pros

• It’s very easy to use
• Easily share documents and files with your team members
• Zoho Meeting integrates well with Zoho products (Zoho CRM, Zoho Social, Zoho Projects, etc.)
• High-quality video and audio recordings
• Drive engagement with online meetings with interactive tools
• Screen sharing is intuitive and easy to initiate

Cons

• Limited features in the free version (you have to upgrade to use some basic features)
• There’s no whiteboard interactive option (yet

Pricing

Here’s the breakdown of Zoho Meeting plans and pricing:

• FREE ($0/month): 100 meeting participants, 100 webinar attendees, unlimited meetings for up to 30 minutes, and more.
• MEETING ($3/host/month): Everything in the FREE plan + Cloud recording storage for 10 meetings, Embed meeting widget, virtual background, and more.
• WEBINAR ($19/organizer/month): Everything in MEETING + Live streaming, Source tracking, Email customization, and so much more.

Note: Save more than 15% when you switch to the annual payment schedule.

2. GoToMeeting

Best overall video conferencing software

GoToMeeting offers everything you need for a smooth and productive meeting.

It comes with built-in tools like one-click recording and annotation, as well as a variety of other useful features.

The GoToMeeting web-based solution is easy to use and offers integration with popular services like Dropbox, Slack, and Outlook.

You can join a GoToMeeting meeting from anywhere in the world.

GoToMeeting allows you to call people in more than 50 countries. Using toll-free numbers, you can have your meetings in various languages.

You can also use GoToMeeting on the road and on the go! If you’re unsure of which plan is best for you, try a free trial!

The GoToMeeting webcam feature makes it easy to share your screen.

You can load a PowerPoint presentation or walk through steps with other participants using a webcam.

The screen-sharing feature works with browsers, so no software is necessary.  

Key Features

• Host one-click virtual meetings fast (no downloads are required)
• Virtual meeting platforms works on both iOS and Android devices
• Effective communication and collaboration tools
• Enterprise-grade security to protect your attendees’ data
• Screen sharing and drawing tools
• Built-in audio and VoIP and Toll
• Seamless integrations with third-party apps

Pros

• Easy meeting schedulings
• GoToMeeting is highly scalable with lots of features for your team
• Easy screen sharing option from your mobile device
• Better security and encryption
• High-quality video recording and clear audio

Cons

• Sometimes, connection issues cause disruption during a call
• Lacks live caption feature
• Chat option isn’t as intuitive as ClickMeeting’s

Pricing

GoToMeeting offers straightforward plans to help you get started immediately:

• Professional ($12/organizer/month billed annually): 150 participants, unlimited meetings, no meeting limits, and more.
• Business ($16/organizer/month billed annually): 250 participants, screen sharing, web audio, business messaging, and more.
• Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote. Up to 3,000 participants, HD video, screen sharing, web audio, and more.

3. RingCentral

Best for screen sharing and collaboration

RingCentral makes it easy for you to call, meet, and message your team members, employees, and clients, all in one app.

It gives you the tools and platform to power effective communications that transform business.

With RingCentral, you can make and receive calls from any computer or mobile device.

With no complicated setup, you don’t need to worry about purchasing a phone system or buying two.

All you need is an internet connection and your existing phone system.

If you want to expand your communication options, you can also purchase a range of handsets from RingCentral, including desktop phones, cordless phones, receptionist phones, conference phones, and headsets.

With RingCentral’s flagship MVP, you can easily sync your contacts and directories from Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Dropbox. You can also sync calendar events with your email or scheduling app.  

Key Features

• Video meetings with up to 200 participants
• Powerful CRM integrations with Salesforce, Zendesk, etc.
• Business phone numbers in 100+ countries
• Audio conferencing with clear, crisp audio
• Automatically convert voicemail messages into text
• Share documents and files with your team members

Pros

• Easy to set up conference calls
• It’s a secure video calling platform
• Expansive feature set for all users
• A cloud-based solution that’s ideal for a remote workforce
• User interface is clean, anyone can learn to navigate it

Cons

• Call quality is very poor. Sometimes, there’s an echo or a lag
• The 3-way calling option could use some improvement
• Faxes frequently showed up unreadable

Pricing

RingCentral has flexible plans based on the number of users. The summarized pricing below is based on 1 – 20 users:

• Essentials ($29.99/user/month): Business phone or toll-free numbers, enhanced business SMS, and more.
• Standard ($37.99/user/month): Everything in Essentials, plus no limit on the number of users, unlimited internet fax, unlimited audio conferencing, and more.
• Premium ($44.99/user/month): Every feature in Premium, plus automatic call recording, Single Sign-on, multi-site admin and management, and more.
• Ultimate ($59.99/user/month): Everything in Premium, plus device status reports, device status alerts, unlimited storage. Contact sales for custom quotes.

Note: You’ll save up to 33% when you pay annually.

4. ClickMeeting

Best for easy customization

ClickMeeting enables you to host online meetings, video conferencing events, and webinars.

If you need to schedule a meeting online, ClickMeeting is a perfect choice.

The free service lets you create meetings and invite participants and presenters and integrates with Outlook.

Its Chrome plug-in hooks into your Google calendar. If you use an iPhone or Android device, you can set up a meeting on your mobile device as well.

The UI and email notifications can be customized to match your brand’s style.

ClickMeeting has many pre-loaded templates and call-to-action-buttons, which help you customize the experience.

A premium plan includes toll-free numbers. Premium plan attendees will not be charged to dial in.

Users can customize their registration process, and all features are accessible from a dashboard. ClickMeeting also has robust data analytics capabilities.

If you have an online course, you can use its webinar platform to measure the success of each course.

It integrates with a variety of third-party applications to streamline your webinars.

Key Features

• Powerful video conferencing tools
• Auto-stream on Facebook or YouTube
• Host on-demand and automated recurring webinars
• High-converting Event landing pages
• Tokenized registration process
• Email & SMS invitations, Toll-free and Dial-in numbers
• Paid webinars: Accept payments easily during a session

Pros

• Simple user interface that’s easy to use
• Record high-quality video and audio
• You can do a live streaming to YouTube or Facebook
• Lots of easy-to-use tools to conduct an interactive meeting (e.g., Q&A mode, screen sharing)
• Easily coordinate your team and collaborate at a deeper level

Cons

• Sometimes, presentations that are uploaded to the ClickMeeting server’s memory lose their quality
• Only presenters can turn on a camera during a webinar (participants are not allowed to do so)
• The system is a bit laggy as the number of participants increases

Pricing

ClickMeeting has plans & pricing structure that are based on the number of attendees you’re expecting in your conference or webinar. Here’s the pricing:

• Live ($45/month): 8 cameras in webinars, 1 host, 1 presenter, Breakout rooms, and more.
• Automated ($55/month): Everything in the Live plan, plus 3 multi-users, 1GB storage, and more.
• Enterprise: Get custom pricing from the sales team. This plan is perfect for companies seeking to scale and customize a lot more. Get up to 2GB storage, 10 hours of recording storage, and more.

Note: Save up to 20% of the total monthly cost. You can get started with the 30-day free trial plan and explore the possibilities of ClickMeeting before you upgrade.

5. BlueJeans

Best for HD video and audio recordings

BlueJeans is a modern video conferencing solution, with unlimited recordings, real-time transcription, and secure virtual meetings.

Its easy-to-use interface allows for easy sharing of the screen with others.

BlueJeans’ Restricted Meetings feature encrypts every call using AES-256 GCM for security.

Users can join a meeting by entering a meeting ID and passcode.

With BlueJeans, you get a premium video conferencing experience and the much-needed tools to optimize your mobile workforce.

As with all other products, BlueJeans video conferencing software is only as good as the connection you have.

For this reason, we recommend using the low-bandwidth mode when available.

This will ensure a better video conferencing experience even on the most limited connection.

Key Features

• Video conferencing and audio recordings
• Automatic, real-time closed captioning, keyboard controls, etc.
• Interactive live streaming for virtual events
• Dolby Voice + HD Video
• Breakout Sessions to create engaging moments with participants
• Fun virtual backgrounds for your events

Pros

• The video and audio quality is still good even with a low internet connection
• Easy to create meeting rooms and use with your team members
• Easily get a reminder about upcoming meetings
• Intuitive and modern-looking whiteboards and screen sharing for presentations
• Live chatting during online meetings (I love this feature)

Cons

• Sometimes, the video and audio don’t sync properly (it happens mostly in larger meetings)
• The user interface could be a bit more user friendly
• Create multiple process reports can be challenging (especially at first attempt)

Pricing

BlueJeans lets you save up to 20% of the total monthly cost when you pay annually. Here’s the monthly plan breakdown to help you make well-informed decisions:

• BlueJeans STANDARD ($13.43/host/month): Host up to 100 participants, unlimited 1:1 & Group Meetings, Meet as long as you want, and more.
• BlueJeans PRO ($18.80/host/month): All Standard features, plus 150 participants, 25 hours of meeting recording/host, Command Center Analytics, and more.
• BlueJeans ENTERPRISE ($21.49/host/month): All PRO features, plus 200 participants, unlimited recordings, automated closed captioning, real-time transcription, and more.
• BlueJeans ENTERPRISE PLUS: Get a quote from the team. Get all Enterprise features, plus flexible licensing options, advanced support options, and onboarding manager, and more.

6. Zoom

Best all-purpose conferencing software

Zoom is an all-in-one communications platform for teams. It brings together remote and in-person teams, engages a new audience, and facilitates on-demand collaboration.

If you’re thinking about using video conferencing to improve the efficiency of your meetings, Zoom is a great choice.

With no setup fees, Zoom is suitable for small businesses. It has a friendly interface and relevant features, so it’s easy to learn and use.

You can also get free trials or purchase premium tier subscriptions.  

To schedule a meeting on Zoom, you first need to sign in to your account or create a new meeting on the website or app.

You can also send a text message or instant message containing the meeting details to your participants.

Once you’ve signed in, simply tap the orange “New Meeting” icon. Then, you can modify the meeting settings or turn off the video for meeting participants.

Alternatively, you can copy the meeting’s URL and paste it into your browser or email.

Key Features

• Video and audio recording sessions
• Seamless integrations with Salesforce, Kultura, Pardot, etc.
• Conduct polls to engage participants in a meeting
• Multi-desktop, wireless sharing, and simple collaboration tools
• Rich reports and insights on participants’ entering and leaving time
• Engage small groups with Breakout rooms
• Mute/unmute participants to keep virtual events organized.

Pros

• Intuitive and easy-to-use screen sharing features
• Seamless integration with CRM and social media platforms
• Easily stream multiple webcams simultaneously
• Add interactivity to webinars via live chat, audience polling, and Q&A
• Zoom is affordable compared to some video conferencing and online meeting platforms

Cons

• Dial-in is not always reliable and consistent
• Sometimes, a green screen for background don’t work properly

Pricing

Zoom offers 4 plans:

• Free ($0/month): This plan is for starters. It’s ideal for personal meetings, up to 100 participants, private & group chats, and more.
• PRO ($14.99/month): All the features of Free, plus host 1,000 participants with large meetings add-on, social media streaming, and more.
• BUSINESS ($19.99/month): Everything in PRO, plus Single Sign-On, managed domains, custom branding, and so on.
• Enterprise ($19.99/month): Get everything in BUSINESS, plus 500 participants, unlimited cloud storage, recording transcripts, and more.

Note: Save up to 17% when you switch to the annual plan.

7. Skype

Best for individuals and small businesses

Skype is an online communication service that allows users to communicate on a global scale. Skype is a free download and works on a variety of devices.

You can make free calls between Skype users and pay low international calling rates.

Many people consider Skype a personal communication tool, but more professional users are beginning to use it as well. After downloading Skype, follow the simple steps below.

Choose whether you want to use Skype for personal or business purposes.  

Once you’ve registered, Skype is free to use and offers a number of features, including video calls, instant messaging, screen sharing, and conference calling.

You can also send and receive text messages and call mobile numbers.

Another benefit to using Skype is the fact that you can make international calls for very cheap rates.

Skype also has a low price policy, making it particularly affordable for international calls.

Key Features

• Audio and HD video calling
• Call recording and Live subtitles
• Affordable international calling rates to mobile phones and landlines
• Share presentations or documents with screen sharing features
• Skype works on all devices: Phone, Desktop, Tablet, Web, Xbox, and Alexa
• Keep your private conversations secure with end-to-end encryption

Pros

• It does video calling very well
• You can easily share files and documents with others
• Skype has a clean UI (that most people can understand)
• Group conferencing is intuitive and easy to set up
• The chat/instant messaging feature is robust and fun to use
• Skype is reliable, uptime is at its best

Cons

• The mobile version doesn’t update conversations immediately. This can be improved upon.
• No breakout rooms (which is very important to connect with smaller groups of participants)

Pricing & Plans

Skype is free audio and video messaging software. However, it’s not completely free to call every country.

You can either purchase Skype Credit to call anywhere or simply subscribe to an affordable monthly plan to call home and abroad with Skype’s international call rates:

• United States ($3.59/month): Call mobiles and landlines for unlimited mins, 3 destinations + United States 0.18¢/min. if you use 2,000 mins per month.
• India ($9.59/month): Call mobiles and landlines, 800 mins, 1.2¢/min.
• North America ($8.39/month): Call mobiles and landlines, unlimited mins, 8 destinations, 0.42¢/min if you use 2,000 mins per month.

8. Cisco Webex Meeting

Best for scalability

Cisco Webex combines calling, meetings, messaging, and events in the cloud to deliver the best video conferencing capabilities for teams of all sizes.

Cisco Webex Meetings is compatible with most PCs, mobile devices, and Macs. It supports high-definition video meetings with up to 1,000 participants.

Webex records meetings and screen shares. It also supports transcriptions and translations for languages other than English.

The video conferencing capability of Cisco Webex is second to none. The high-quality video enables teams to collaborate in real-time.

The service also offers a hybrid media service, which keeps local users on-premises while pushing remote users to the cloud. This makes Cisco Webex Meetings more secure and reliable than ever.

Key Features

• Smooth broadcasting and screen sharing
• Webex Cloud Calling
• Gain access to live and pre-recorded sessions
• Post-event survey through Q&A, polls, and forms
• Visual enhancement tools such as white digital boards
• Crisp, uninterrupted audio system

Pros

• Get the best audio and video quality in areas with weak signals
• Easy to set up (and get started)
• Seamless support for Android and iOS devices
• The audio system is clear and high-quality
• It’s easy to use the cloud calling tool

Cons

• It’s not as intuitive to use as Zoom and GoToWebinar
• It doesn’t provide a more direct view of upcoming meetings (this can be improved)

Pricing

You’re expected to contact the sales team to get pricing details or custom quotes. Simply feel out the form here to get started or call: 1-888-469-3239

9. Microsoft Teams

Best for small businesses

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration tool that embodies the modern workplace, presenting a unified interface for teamwork across all Microsoft 365 applications.

As “the hub of teamwork,” Teams is the place for collaboration, bringing together team communication tools, as well as third-party integrations.

Microsoft Teams addresses common challenges, such as remote working, governance, and security.

As companies move into the digital age, Microsoft Teams provides the tools that teams need to stay productive and safe.

One of the main features of Microsoft Teams is the ability to pin things on your wall.

Pinning allows you to quickly find important things and get them out of the way. It’s also useful for storing files, spreadsheets, and shared notes.

You can use tabs to pin documents, photos, videos, and other content. To pin a message, simply select “Reply” from the menu.

Key Features

• Collaborate with your team members and access content anytime
• Chat, call, and share videos with other people
• Schedule online meetings with high-quality audio and video
• Keep all your conversations and files in one place
• Free cloud storage gives you access to shared files across multiple devices

Pros

• Easy access on mobile as well as on desktop
• It’s easy to schedule upcoming meetings via the calendar
• Accurate and intuitive live captions functionality
• Screen sharing adds a layer of interactivity to your meetings
• Chat history with team members and clients stays in the archive (never deleted), so you can always pull it for decision-making processes

Cons

• Navigating the mobile app is a bit difficult (not as intuitive as the Desktop version)
• Video call quality needs to improve
• Screen blur problem when the internet connection is slow

Pricing

Let’s breakdown the plans and pricing of Microsoft Teams:

• Microsoft Teams Free: 100 participants per meeting, 5 GB of storage space per user, unlimited group meetings for up to 60 minutes, and more.
• Microsoft Teams Essentials ($4/user/month): Everything in the Free plan, plus 300 participants per meeting, 10 GB of storage space, and more.
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6/user/month): Everything in Microsoft Teams Essentials, plus Team meetings recordings with transcripts, Expanded cloud storage of 1 TB per user, Business-class email, and more.
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50/user/month): Get all the advanced features, including Desktop versions of Office apps with premium features, Webinar hosting, and more.

10. Google Meet

Best free video conferencing solution

Google Meet is a powerful tool for virtual meetings and conference calls. It works through a link shared with participants via email, calendar, or ad hoc sharing.

Once everyone has joined, you can switch between participants and start recording or presenting.

You can create presentations or documents using Google Docs. You can present slides, documents, and spreadsheets. You can also switch to audio-only mode. As with most Google apps, Google Meet is safe by default.

However, you can restrict who can join a meeting. If you choose to use Google Docs, you can make it easier for other participants to view your presentations.

The software is available on both PC and Mac, and it also includes Android and iOS apps.

Key Features

• Built-in secure meeting tools (at no cost)
• Share your meeting links and get people to join
• See all your meeting participants by changing your layout
• Schedule meetings in Google Calendar and send invitations to participants
• Your meeting is safe: Only those invited can join your meetings

Pros

• It’s an intuitive cloud-based video conferencing software (no software to download)
• Google Meet is quite easy to use
• It’s completely free for individuals to host secure meetings
• Screen sharing is one of its best features (I love using it)
• Great video quality

Cons

• The duration of a group call is limited to 60 minutes
• More interactive tools would make Google Meet a close rival to ClickMeeting

Pricing

Individuals can host secure video meetings for free with Google Meet. Businesses can get premium Meet, Gmail capabilities, Calendar, and manage their operations with Google Workspace.

Here’s the breakdown of pricing:

• Google Meet ($0/month): It’s completely free. 100 meeting participants, 1:1 meeting length (24 hours), unlimited meetings, and more.
• Google Workspace Individual ($7.99/month): Group meeting length (24 hours), 3+ participants, 100 meeting participants, and more.
• Google Workspace Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote. 500 meeting participants, and plenty of advanced capabilities.

11. Join.me

Best online meeting software for everyday use

Join.me offers screen sharing, online meetings, and web conferencing tools. You can start your video conference quickly or join a meeting using a code sent to you by someone else.

This software is an excellent choice for hosting virtual meetings.

Keep in mind that Join.me is now part of the GoTo family, now you have access to a powerful suite of virtual meeting solutions.

Its user-friendly GUI makes it easy for people to connect and join your meetings. To use Join.me, all you need to do is download the app, log in, and start communicating!

You can even host a meeting on the go! Just remember to invite your friends and coworkers so that everyone can join.

Key Features

• Mobile video conferencing capability
• Screen sharing tools
• free conference calls with participants
• Integrations with popular collaboration apps, including Slack
• Toll-free audio calls
• Webinar and virtual events hosting features

Pros

• Starting and ending online meetings is quite easy
• Easy to remember meeting URL, easy to share with participants
• It’s trusted and secure (it now uses the GoTo enterprise-grade security protocols)
• Unlimited audio with international conference lines
• Clean and usable interface (especially for beginners)
• Join.me supports many participants during a web conferencing session

Cons

• No feature or tool to export the attendee list easily
• It needs fast WiFi connection or there can be major issues during calls

Pricing

Join.me is now part of the GoTo family of virtual meeting solutions, which consists of GoTo Meeting and GoTo Connect.

Therefore, the pricing for GoTo Meeting is similar to that of Join.me. Here’s the breakdown:

• Professional ($12/organizer/month billed annually): 150 participants, unlimited meetings, no meeting limits, and more.
• Business ($16/organizer/month billed annually): 250 participants, screen sharing, web audio, business messaging, and more.
• Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote. Up to 3,000 participants, HD video, screen sharing, web audio, and more.

12. Lifesize

Best for large teams

Lifesize is a cloud-based video conferencing platform that delivers the highest-quality video meeting experience.

Built for a global scale and reliability, Lifesize helps people meet face-to-face, regardless of location, device, or language.

Users can collaborate seamlessly. The audio and video quality is crystal-clear.

If you need to communicate with clients, colleagues, or other business partners, Lifesize has all the tools you need to make it happen.

A major advantage of Lifesize video conferencing software is its ability to stream live or record meetings. The system can accommodate up to ten thousand concurrent viewers and allows for unlimited guest invites.

Lifesize has great video conferencing hardware, including 10x zoom, background noise-cancellation technology, and HD audio capabilities.

The 10x camera is an excellent choice for larger audio conferencing meetings that involve more participants and require high-definition video quality.

Key Features

• Host and manage cloud video meetings
• Video-ready contact center solution
• Ideate with whiteboard tools to collaborate naturally
• Secure and productive team conversions
• Cultivate genuinely, trusted relationships with clients
• Connect with different information systems, devices, and apps

Pros

• It offers some easy controls that are easy to use
• It’s a cloud-based video conferencing solution (no software download required)
• Easily schedule meetings from Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook
• It quickly detects who’s speak and automatically enlarge their image
• You can easily “ring” a coworker (like calling them at their extension)

Cons

• Abrupt disconnection without warning
• The video quality isn’t so good when more than 3 locations are connected
• No option to brand your virtual meeting rooms

Pricing

Lifesize comes with 3 Meeting Solutions plans and pricing:

• Plus ($14.95/host/month): 10 hosts min., 300 participants, Microsoft integrations, phone, and email support, etc.
• Enterprise ($14.95/host/month): All Plus features, plus host up to 500 participants, unlimited recordings, live streaming, and premium support.
• Organization: Everything in Enterprise, plus get customizable custom packages that fit your company’s needs. Contact sales for a quote.

13. DialPad Meetings (formerly Uber Conference)

Best face-to-face conferencing software

DialPad Meetings is an easy-to-use online conference calling platform that allows participants to join a conference simply by clicking on the URL.

DialPad Meetings allows meeting organizers to automatically dial out meeting participants and even send out a reminder text to all participants.

Participants can dial into a meeting as either a view-only participant, which is ideal if the meeting is held at a distance.

The platform allows users to add their own music to the on-hold message, or choose a pre-made one.

Users have reported positive feedback from their customers after using DialPad Meetings.

DialPad Meetings also offers on-hold music. Users can upload up to 20MB of MP3s. This feature is available on a paid plan.

Key Features

• High Definition face-to-face meetings
• Reduce background noise in your audio recordings
• Personalize your online meetings with music, sounds, etc.
• Start or join video meetings on any device
• Powerful screen sharing collaboration tool
• Keep meetings on track with the advanced host control

Pros

• It’s visually appealing (the default backgrounds are beautiful)
• Easy to invite participants to a meeting
• You can “lock” the call room for privacy with ease
• The call quality is amazing and better (when compared to Microsoft Teams)
• It saves all calls — so that you can listen to them later
• Screen sharing is intuitive and works great

Cons

• Users that don’t use Chrome usually experience glitchy audio problems
• Could use more integration with third-party services

Pricing

Dialpad Meetings offer 3 distinct plans with flexible pricing:

• Standard ($20/user/month or $15/user/month billed annually): 1 license min., unlimited calling, SMS, & MMS, Google Workspace & Microsoft 365 integrations, and more.
• Pro ($30/user/month or $25/user/month billed annually): All Standard plan features, plus international SMS, local number support in 70+ countries, and more.
• Enterprise: 100 licenses min., Azure integration, plus all Pro plan features. Get a quote from the sales team.

What is Video Conferencing Software?

Video conferencing software lets you host and schedule conference calls, as well as face-to-face online meetings and virtual events with your team members in real-time.

With video conferencing software, you can share your screen, and collaborate through chat, Q&As, polls, and surveys, and there’s no need to have participants spending money on airfare.

They can participate from wherever they are.

What to Look for in Video Conferencing Software

While some video conferencing software solutions may offer better or more advanced features and USPs, the key features are mostly the same.

When you’re ready to pick video conferencing software, here are the essential features to consider:

1). Screen Sharing

This is an essential feature that allows you to share your screen with meeting participants or attendees.

“A great use of video calling, especially with a remote team or team members, is to present marketing reports or other major data to your team or leadership,” says Chloe West, a contributor at Sprout Social.

Most video conferencing solutions come with screen sharing included, but you can also download a stand-alone application to use it.

When using the screen sharing feature, you should be able to control whether other people can see and hear what’s on your screen.

The screen sharing feature is useful for a wide variety of applications, including business meetings.

Screen sharing is essential for interactive meetings. It allows participants to see the desktop apps that they use.

Screen sharing makes it easier for participants to follow your presentation. The best video conferencing software will allow you to share the screen with your colleagues.  

2). Chat Features

The best video conferencing tools will provide a number of chat features.

These features allow users to add visual elements to conversations and further enhance the quality of meetings.

The ability to tag participants in a group chat ensures faster follow-up, and tagging makes each participant feel valuable.

The ability to forward the same message to multiple conversations at once is also an important feature, and the status determiner function helps users decide whether to mull the receiver or not.

Apart from text-based chat, video conferencing software includes file-sharing features.

This helps participants to share large files, thereby boosting their productivity during a chat session.

3). HD Video

You should look for a video conferencing service with HD Video if you want to host meetings with HD quality.

You can use this to host marketing webinars and hold meetings with employees in real-time.

If you need to send messages or emojis, look for one that lets you upload multiple file types.

Some services allow you to use a chat mode when you’re not on the video call. This feature is particularly useful for presentations.

The immediacy of video conferencing can help practitioners, patients, and even students.

HD video conferencing can provide reliable access to remote locations and even offer continuing medical education for healthcare professionals.

4). Unlimited Recording

If you’re on the lookout for good video conferencing software, it’s imperative that it provides an unlimited recording feature.

According to Businesswire, 86% of businesses that use video conferencing want to record and archive meetings.

This feature can save you valuable time and allow you to reuse recordings for future use.

For example, you can use recorded meetings to onboard new writers or train new employees.  

Regardless of your budget, finding quality video conferencing software with an unlimited recording feature will be essential. This feature is crucial to many businesses.

5). Multiple File formats

When deciding to use video conferencing software, you should consider the different file formats it supports.

You should be able to upload and share multiple file types such as MP4 videos, PDFs, PPTs, JPGs, etc. Adding rich media to your presentation is also an important feature of video conferencing software.

This feature allows you to add rich media to your presentations, including videos and audio.

You can also use note sharing to capture individual steps in a presentation and send the parts to other participants.

6). Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

One important feature to look for in video conferencing software is its VoIP feature. Many businesses use this feature to reduce travel expenses.

VoIP is arguably the most important feature of video-conferencing software. VoIP allows users to easily connect to the meeting via phone or chat since it facilitates smooth video conferencing.

It helps to save time, money, and energy by eliminating the need to travel. According to Tech.co, 50% of a voice conversation is silent, allowing VoIP to save data.

VoIP-enabled video conferencing software can also be used to make phone calls from other locations.

Benefits of Using Video Conferencing Services

Video conferencing is an essential tool to connect with team members, workers, freelancers, and clients who work from home or office.

Here’s a summarized version of the key benefits of using a video conferencing service:

1). Eliminates the need to travel

Today, video conferencing software allows you to collaborate with colleagues, clients, or suppliers in real-time without the need to travel.

With this technology, you can hire talent virtually without the need to spend thousands of dollars on airfare. How much you ask?

Businesses could save $33,000+ each year via video conferencing, according to ZDNet.

You can work from anywhere, which is a great advantage if you’re trying to expand your remote workforce.

Video conferencing software is one of the easiest ways to do this.

The productivity benefits of video conferencing are substantial. In fact, using video conferencing can increase employees’ focus and contribution.

Face-to-face communication with customers can reduce distractions.

In addition to reducing travel time, video conferencing allows companies to make important decisions more quickly and accurately, as a result of reduced expenses.

2). Organize meetings independent of time

If you’re looking for a way to organize meetings independently of time, video conferencing software connects you to people in different locations via video.  

A video conference can involve as few as two people or hundreds. Organizers set up a meeting and send personalized links to invite participants.

All participants are able to join the video meeting without having to register separately.

The organizer is responsible for setting up the meeting, and the other participants can join by simply clicking on the personalized link.

It’s also important to note that you don’t need to have a separate account with the video conferencing software in order to participate.

Video conferencing software is a must-have for any modern business.

It allows companies to hold meetings with their clients, employees, and suppliers, without traveling constantly.

3). Engage your mobile workforce

You can engage your mobile workforce through video conferencing software. Today, video conferencing is essential for building a Human Enterprise.  

The workforce of the future is increasingly mobile, putting a strain on management and culture.

With fewer opportunities to connect face-to-face, companies must consider new ways to engage this diverse group.

Mobile workforces need to know when to expect the next day or week. They should also feel prepared when they arrive at their job site.

This means having easy access to forms and documents, as well as the ability to discuss their performance with managers and other peers.

4). Increase productivity at work

Video conferencing is an amazing tool that allows you to hold meetings with others anywhere.

Whether you’re working from home or traveling, your employees can join your meetings from almost anywhere.

This makes it easy to collaborate and increase productivity at work, especially through screen sharing.

Video conferencing can be as effective as an in-person meeting, and it can be the difference between success and failure.

Video conferencing software can help you improve productivity at work by connecting your employees.

Rather than waiting for permissions or finalizing assignments, video calls allow you to stay connected. That way, you can get work done faster.

5). Cuts down on carbon emissions

How dirty is your journey? According to Statista, 500 million business trips will be made in the United States by 2022, which equates to a lot of carbon emissions.

When you travel or commute to work through any of the different modes of transport, how much pollution are you bringing to society?

Since video conferencing reduces the need to travel while still delivering the best face-to-face communication between teams, you can see how much carbon emissions will be prevented.

If you’re concerned about the environment and life in general, this benefit should get you pumped to seriously consider using video conferencing software to bring your teams together — without the need to travel.

How To Use Video Conferencing Software

To help you understand how the basic features of video conferencing software work, I’ll do a little demonstration using Microsoft Teams:

Step 1: Create an Account

To get started, you need to sign up through the profile icon located at the top right corner.

Or simply click on the “Download Teams” link present at the top to download the application.

Next, click on the “Sign up for free” option to register.

Step 2: Load the Video Conferencing Solution

After installing the Microsoft Teams application, you can click on the Team/Channel you want to start the meeting with.

Keep a close eye on a tiny camera icon that appears under the text box. To launch your video conference, click on that camera icon.

Next, click on the “Meet Now” button to add a subject line to your meeting.

Then you’ll see a video call screen appear with a toolbar right at the bottom. Easily turn your mic and camera on/off using this toolbar.

Feel free to share your desktop screen with participants if you have important information to share in real-time.

How to Choose the Right Video Conferencing Software for You

The choice of video conferencing software is a critical decision for any business, and choosing the right one is important for both small and large businesses alike.

1). Hosting capacity: The best video conferencing software should make hosting meetings a simple and convenient task — and be flexible enough to accommodate the needs of all attendees.  

Video quality is one of the most important factors when choosing video conferencing software. While the video quality can vary widely, you should expect clear audio and no squinting while watching.

2) Ease of use: Besides the quality of audio and video, ease of use of the software also matters. It should be easy to use, secure, and private.

It should also provide a host of other benefits, including AI assistants and recording capabilities.

3). Price: Check the software’s price. A reliable video conferencing platform should have a transparent pricing structure and a good support team. You should be able to find a demo version online and read reviews from other users.

Don’t forget to consider the price per user or per organization.

While free video conferencing software often offers solid features, they limit the number of participants and meeting duration.

FAQs About Video Conferencing Software

Here are some frequently asked questions about video conferencing software tools.

What is video conferencing software?

Video conferencing software enables you to schedule conference calls, host face-to-face online meetings, run virtual events and collaborate with coworkers and team members in real-time.

What is the best video conferencing software?

GoToMeeting is the best video conferencing software. It’s reliable and offers both advanced video conferencing features.

What is the best video conferencing software free?

Google Meet is the best video conferencing software you can use for free. It comes with amazing features, and there’s no download required to use it.

Is Zoom the best video conference?

While Zoom may be the most popular video conferencing service, which gained a lot of acceptance during COVID, there are better video conferencing software platforms you can use, such as GoToMeeting and ClickMeeting — with more advanced video call features and collaboration tools.

What is the best video conferencing software for business?

Zoom is the best video conferencing software for businesses of all sizes. It’s free to use but offers paid plans for access to advanced features.

What is the best high-quality video conferencing software?

ClickMeeting and Webex offer high-quality video recordings and video conferencing capabilities.

What are the top video conferencing software?

Zoho Meeting, Microsoft Teams, ClickMeeting, GoToMeeting, Lifesize, and Google Meet are the top video conferencing software you can use.

Where can I find a video conferencing comparison?

For a detailed comparison chart, Cornel University compared Zoom against standard-based video conferencing solutions right here.

What is the most used video conferencing software?

Zoom is the most popular video conferencing software in the world. It records more than 3.3 trillion annual meeting minutes, 45 billion minutes of webinars, from 500,000+ active customers.

What is the best video conferencing software for teaching?

Zoom and Google Meet are the most suitable video conferencing software tools for teaching.

How does video conferencing work technically?

Video conferencing enables people at two or many different locations to see, hear, and share documents with each other, using a computer and video conferencing software such as Zoom. They can share visual information with Webcams (digital video cameras) and streaming video. Audio content may be distributed via computer or the telephone system.

What are different video conferencing software?

The 4 types of video conferencing software services include:

• Telepresence: This type of software is useful for bringing users as close as possible. It creates a deep face-to-face connection between the host and participants.
• Desktop-based: This is used mostly by workplace staff and teams constantly on the go. This video conferencing software is installed on the user’s desktop computer and used for routine collaboration.
• Service-based: There’s nothing to install here, but you may need the services of the telecom provider to come to your location and install this tool. It’s used by large organizations.
• Codec: This is the most advanced video conferencing setup you can ever imagine. This is usually set up on a room-based framework. You’ll need to set up an external display, a powerful camera, and a microphone. This setup is suitable for CEOs and managers who want to use a whiteboard in their office or intends to move around while on the video call.

Can you use video conferencing software without the internet?

Most video conferencing software applications require an internet connection to work. However, you can set up a solution to work within a corporate network or LAN without an internet connection. TrueConf Server can help you accomplish this feat.

What are some new video conferencing software?

BlueJeans, Join.me, and Highfive are the new video conferencing software tools you can try your hands on.

What was the first video conferencing software?

The first desktop video conferencing platform was released on the Mac OS in 1992 and Windows in 1994. It was developed by a Cornell student, and the program was called CU-SeeMe.

What are the best video conferencing software for large groups?

It depends on how large of a group you want to invite in your meeting. Zoom, GoToMeeting, Zoho Meeting are the best video conferencing software for large groups).

Best Video Conferencing Software – Summary

I hope you have benefitted from this complete guide to the best video conferencing software platforms?

To successfully bring your team or several people together, from anywhere they are, to communicate face-to-face, without the need to travel, choose a make sure you choose a video conferencing service that’s easy to set up and use.

It should allow HD video and crisp audio recordings, and interactive features such as chat, polls, and comments, to help you interact and build rapport during the conference.

Here are my final recommendations:

• Zoho Meeting: best for ease of use
• Google Meet: best free video conferencing platform
• ClickMeeting: best for easy customization
• GoToMeeting: best overall video conferencing software
• Zoom: best for every day use

Now I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Do you have a favorite video conferencing service or which one would you like to get started with?

Leave a comment below. I’ll be sure to read and respond to you.

Further reading on navidm.com: Be sure to check out my guide on the best webinar software. You can also check out my guide to the best webinar software and even more in-depth online software reviews here.